Free Summer Concerts at the National Zoo - Sunset Serenades

The National Zoo hosts free concerts on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Sunset Serenades include a wide range of music including jazz, blues, rock/pop, reggae, rock-and-roll revival, and patriotic music and marches. Admission is free and the concerts also include up-close encounters with a Zoo animal. Guests are welcome to bring their own food and picnic on the hillside or purchase refreshments from the Zoo’s Mane Restaurant.

2008 Concert schedule

• June 26 – THE ORIOLES (oldies)
The original band formed in 1947 in Baltimore and is credited with laying the groundwork for many popular R&B and doo-wop vocal groups who followed. Additionally, Häagen-Dazs will hand out free samples of its new Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream to celebrate National Pollinator Week as a part of its Häagen-Dazs loves Honey Bees™ program to conserve honey bee populations across the U.S. There will also be a special bee keeper talk inside the Invertebrate Exhibit.

• July 3 – LITTLE RED AND THE RENEGADES (zydeco)
Described as “just flat out fun,” Little Red has shared its eclectic zydeco and Cajun-style music with Washingtonians since the 1970s.

• July 10 – THE SHARON THOMAS EXPERIENCE (jazz)
Sharon B. Thomas, a lifelong Washington resident, is an accomplished tenor- and soprano-saxophonist. Her band, The Sharon Thomas Experience, has performed with nationally recognized recording artists, like Ginuwine and Ralph Tresvant.

• July 17 – 257th ARMY BAND (patriotic)
Known as “The Band of the Nation’s Capital,” the 257th Army Band is part of the D.C. Army National Guard and has provided support for the U.S. military since 1883. The band performed at the burial of the Unknown Soldier in 1921 and has served our country overseas.

• July 24 – U.S. ARMY BLUES (blues/jazz)
Formed in 1972, U.S. Army Blues is the premier jazz ensemble of the U.S. Army. The Blues performs music from such jazz and big-band greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller, as well as their own versions of the most innovative sounds of contemporary composers.

• July 31 – MAUREEN ANDARY (new-cabaret, classic jazz); STAR FK RADIUM (folk-rock); THE ADRIAN OUTFIT (folk-inspired alternative rock)
This evening will be filled with musical performances by an eclectic group of hip, young artists.

• Aug. 7 – RELIC EFFECT (classic rock)
The four members of the local rock band Relic Effect, formerly known as Redstone, have been playing in various bands in the D.C. area for more than 25 years. At Sunset Serenades they’ll play a mix of deep cuts by popular classic rock bands and their own original material.

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